Date Effective: September 1, 1976
Date Revised: June 24, 1986
Date Revised: November 29, 1994
Date Revised: February 16, 1999

POLICY & PROCEDURE MEMORANDUM ACADEMIC PROGRAMS - 12

SUBJECT:   Registration and Acquisition of Course Credits

POLICY

The following grading system is employed:

In addition, the letter "I" is used to designate Incomplete, "W" to indicate Withdrawal.

Quality points earned for a course are calculated by multiplying the number of credit units times quality points associated with the grade assigned. Quality point average is defined as the sum of quality points earned divided by total credit units for which the student was registered for credit and for which he received a grade.

For graduation in the Sc.M. and M.H.S. degree programs, a minimum quality point average of 2.25 is required. For graduation in the M.P.H. degree program a minimum quality point average of 2.50 is required. For graduation in a doctoral program, a minimum quality point average of 2.75 is required. A student must receive grades A, B, or C in all courses required by the School or by the student's department. Whether a "D" in a particular course is considered an acceptable grade for a particular program will be determined by each department or program office. Whether a "D" is considered acceptable to serve as a prerequisite will be determined by the course's sponsoring department.

The general category of Special Studies comprises four courses with distinct catalogue listings: (1) "Special Studies and Research" (for group and individual studies which exclude thesis work and field placement), (2) "Thesis Research," (3) "Field Placement," and (4) "Postdoctoral Fellow Research." It is generally expected that "Thesis Research" will be taken by students who have completed their written comprehensive examination and who are developing a protocol or are otherwise actively involved in thesis research. Further, all categories of Special Studies (including Thesis Research, Field Placement, Postdoctoral Research and Special Studies and Research) will be graded pass/fail and will not be included in the calculation of the grade point average.

PROCEDURE

Registration for all academic terms must be completed within the designated registration period of a given term. Registrations submitted after these deadlines will be assessed a late registration fee. The registration procedure will not be considered completed until the student has received clearance from the Business Office.

Changes in course registration may be made without charge or other penalty up to the end of the tenth day of classes in any term. Courses for which the student is registered for credit at the end of the add/drop period of the term will be entered on his transcript. A student may not subsequently withdraw from a course unless he presents a written justification which is endorsed by the course instructor and accepted by the Committee on Academic Standards. In the event of an approved withdrawal after the end of the add/drop period of the term, the letter "W" will be entered on the student's transcript. He will receive no credit for the course from which he has withdrawn. Nor will that course enter into the calculation of his quality point average.

Under no circumstances can changes be made to registrations during the last two weeks of the term.

Instructors will submit final grades to the Registrar within two weeks after the conclusion of the term in which their courses are given. Any grade of Incomplete (I) will be entered on the student's transcript but will not be considered in the calculation of his quality point average until it has been replaced by a final grade of A, B, C, D, or F. No course credit will be acquired for courses in which a grade of F is received; however, the number of credit units assigned to such courses will be included in the calculation of the quality point average.

Any "Incomplete" is to be made up and replaced by a final grade of A, B, C, D, or F within two consecutive terms after the conclusion of the course, or before graduation, whichever occurs first. Requests for exception to this time limitation should be initiated in writing by the student.

Granting of exceptions requires the endorsement of the course instructor and the student's advisor and the approval of the Committee on Academic Standards.

When a final grade of A, B, C, D, or F is assigned to replace an Incomplete, the letter "I" on the transcript will be crossed out, but not expunged, and the final grade will be inserted. In the event that an Incomplete is not made up within the acceptable time period, a final grade of F will be assigned. Once a final grade of A, B, C, D, or F is awarded and entered in a student's transcript, the grade may not be altered for reasons other than error in initial entry without the approval of the Committee on Academic Standards. In the event that this Committee approves an alteration, the original grade will be noted on the transcript in the form of a comment.

Courses taken on a pass/fail basis will be treated as pure pass/fail, i.e. the practice of maintaining the original grade as a "hidden" grade will be abandoned. The "P" should only be assigned for grades of "C" or better; instructors should assign a grade of "F" to students who register for a course pass/fail and do the equivalent of "D" work. Whether a student has permission to enroll in a course pass/fail will be determined by the advisor based on the requirements of the student's program.

The Registrar must receive all grades for graduating students by no later than 12:00 noon 48 hours prior to Convocation. Only actual letter grades (or Pass grades for Special Studies, Thesis Research, Field Placement, or Postdoctoral Research) can be accepted in order for the course to be counted for degree credit.

In cases where grades are not submitted to the Registrar by 12:00 noon 48 hours prior to Convocation, the department chairman will be contacted to provide assurance that a grade will be forthcoming. All records of graduating students which are still incomplete by 12 noon the day before Convocation will be taken to the Committee on Academic Standards for final action. The Committee on Academic Standards will have the option of assigning a temporary grade of B in those instances where grades are not available. This temporary grade may be upgraded if a higher grade is received later, but cannot be downgraded if a lower grade is received. The Advisory Board will be informed of these cases at its meeting on the day of Convocation.